


baby's in black (and i'm feeling blue)

by lovelyflowersinherhair



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23036203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyflowersinherhair/pseuds/lovelyflowersinherhair
Summary: “And you think that your discovery of Jughead’s body didn’t stress me out?” Alice demanded, her eyes wide. “You think that hiding whatever it is is protecting me?”
Relationships: Alice Cooper/FP Jones II
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	baby's in black (and i'm feeling blue)

“What’s really going on?” Alice asked him quietly, having sent Kevin out of the room, along with the cameras. “FP,” she continued. “I know you’re hiding something.” 

“I decided not to tell you,” he said after a moment, and he met her gaze for a moment, before he fixed his eyes on the framed set of photos that he’d displayed at his desk. “I didn’t want Charles to think that it was acceptable to take advantage of you like he did during the Farm debacle, which I understand was your choice, but it was an unfair thing for him to do to you,” he told her. “I thought about telling you and asking you to keep it a secret, but, well,” he said, and he shrugged his shoulders. “That was when you told me that you were pregnant. I didn’t want to stress you out.”

“And you think that your discovery of Jughead’s body  _ didn’t _ stress me out?” Alice demanded, her eyes wide. “You think that hiding whatever it is is  _ protecting _ me?” 

He shook his head. “No, Alice,” he said. “It was never supposed to go on for as long as it has. Those bastards from Stonewall…” He trailed off. “They’re trying to create the perfect murder, or some horseshit. Jughead’s alive. You’re right. I should have told you that we were faking his death.”

She pursed her lips, appraising him with her eyes, and she let out a quiet sigh. “You should have told me,” she said after a moment. “I understand why you didn’t, though.” 

“I just...I don’t want anything to happen to you, or the baby,” he told her, as he pushed his chair away from his desk. “This town is shit, Alice, and I won’t have it take another thing away from me -- no, from us. It’s already ruined both our lives. You were married to a murderer, and we all know how fucked up my life was.” He shook his head. “I thought that Stonewall would help Jug. Would get him away from this shithole. Make him realize that he had a chance at a future, to go to college, whatever. Instead those preppy assholes want to kill him, and he’s hiding out in that  _ disgusting  _ bunker that Dilton Doiley used to live in.” 

Alice wrinkled her nose, nauseated at the thought of having to live in that bunker, even if it was for the thought of appeasing the greater good, or whatever insanity Jughead had lead to believe he was doing with his latest cause, but she pushed her feelings of nausea down as much as she could. 

“Why bother with all of this?” Alice asked him gently, and she reached out to put her hand on his arm. “Faking his death...it’s ludicrous. We may as well run away. It’s not like we don’t have the money.” 

“I thought about it,” he muttered. “I just -- I can’t join one of those programs and live a lie my entire life,” he told her. “It’s bad enough that I’m living a lie in this damn office, just  _ waiting _ for Hiram to fire me again.” 

“You could always just quit?” She suggested idly, as she leaned her head on his shoulder. “I mean, honestly, what good does being the Sheriff do for you? It’s not like it’s been one of your life-long goals. And we’re not hurting for money.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It would  _ really _ piss him off.” 

“You wouldn’t care?” 

“If you quit?” Alice asked. He nodded. “No, Jonesy. I wouldn’t care if you quit. I just want you to be happy.” 

He drew in a shuddering breath. “I am happy, Alice. I’m happy with you. You think you can cry on command?” 

“Of course I can cry on command,” she said, her tone scoffing. “Didn’t you see my press conference about Polly? Did you think those tears were sincere? I’m here to tell you that they weren’t. Imagine my power with the addition of hormones.” 

She felt him kiss the top of her head. “I love you, Alice,” he said. “You and the baby. I was only trying to protect you, you know that, right? I wasn’t thinking clearly -- I’m not good at this stuff.” 

“Let me help,” she told him. “We can come up with a plan. Surely that makes more sense than you being solely reliant on the teenagers, and our biological child who grew up in an orphanage. I love them all dearly, but you have to admit that they are not always capable of fully thinking their plans out.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Do you want an alphabetized list by child?” Alice asked. “Or do you want me to stick to this specific incident?” 

“The specific incident,” he said, his exhaustion evident in his tone. “I’m waiting on that warrant.” 

“Right,” she said. “Well, if Jughead is supposedly dead, why haven’t we had a funeral?” 

FP blinked at her. “Because he’s not really dead, Al, he’s in the bunker.” 

“I know that, Jonesy, but the people from Stonewall Prep don’t. What better way to lure them into complacency?”

* * *

  
  


“That beer tasted like piss,” FP informed Alice, once all of the mourners had left, and he’d been divested of his job, on his terms. “Who the hell would  _ willingly _ drink that?” 

She wrinkled her nose. “The smell of it on your breath is making my morning sickness act up. Can you brush your teeth?” 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t realize--”

She shook her head. “Don’t be sorry,” she told him. “I just have a very sensitive sense of smell right now.” 

“Yeah, Dad,” JB interjected, rolling her eyes at him. “Where have you been? Why do you think she hasn’t been visiting the bunker?” 

“She told me that was because she considered herself to be a local celebrity--” FP cut himself off as he noticed that Alice was turning an unattractive shade of green. “Stay here with your stepmother, Jellybelly. I’ll be right back.” 

FP hurried upstairs to their bathroom and made fast work of brushing his teeth, not wanting to be the cause of Alice having any pregnancy-related distress if he could at all help it. He was sure that he’d done himself no favors when he’d referred to her as Jellybean’s stepmother, anyways. When Gladys had signed the paperwork that Sierra had drawn up giving him full custodial rights of both children, Jellybean had somehow found out about it, and she had locked herself in her room for the better part of the weekend. She had felt like she was completely unwanted. He had done her best to assure her that it wasn’t true, but he doubted that calling Alice her stepmother was in any way going to be taken well. 

But that was what she was, wasn’t she? At least. Maybe not officially. Not yet. 

He divested of his suit and changed into a clean flannel and pair of jeans. If Alice wasn’t feeling well, he didn’t want to make her feel worse. Plus he hated the suit. Even though Jughead wasn’t really dead, he damn well had felt like he was. 

He impulsively grabbed the flannel that Alice had worn lounging around the house the day before. Maybe she’d want to change, maybe she wouldn’t, but he’d damn well bring it down and offer. It was like a dress on her, and he damn well liked it. 

“...is that what you are to me?” He heard JB ask. “That word that Dad said you were.” 

“I’d like to be,” Alice said in response. “But only if that’s what you want, honey.” 

“Are you gonna leave me? Mom left.” 

“No, honey, I’m not going to leave you,” she said. FP could see that Alice and Jellybean had gone to sit on the couch, rather than continued to hang out in the kitchen. He really couldn’t blame them. “I know that your mom hurt you, honey. I’m not like her.”

“What about when the baby comes?” 

“When the baby comes?” Alice asked. “You’re going to be a big sister. Your dad and I won’t love you any less than we do now. We can love you and the baby, and your older brothers, and Elizabeth.”

“What about Polly?” Jellybean asked. “Are you still mad at her for taking the twins to that place she went to?”

“JB!” FP protested. “That’s not--”

“It’s fine,” Alice told him. “I am disappointed in Polly,” she said. “But at the same time I made it clear that I didn’t want to raise those grandchildren. I suppose that it’s a blessing her new program allows her to have them.” She patted the spot on the couch beside her. “Sit with us.”

“I don’t want to disturb the two of you,” he said, though he obliged her, as her lips turned into a perfectly formed pout. “I love you, babe.” He brushed his lips to hers for a brief kiss, before he leaned over her to kiss JB on the cheek. “I love you, too, Jelly. I know it’s hard for you to believe that.” 

“It’s whatever, Dad.” 

“I want to know how much longer this act is going to last,” Alice told him. “I don’t want Jughead living in such unsanitary conditions any longer than necessary.”

“I don’t have an answer for you,” he said. “Hopefully it will end sooner, rather than later. I don’t like it any more than you.” 


End file.
